Southern California -- this just in

Man in mountain car crash survived 6 days on leaves and bugs

September 29, 2011 | 10:31
pm

A 67-year-old man whose car plunged 200 feet down a mountain in the Angeles National Forest survived for six days by eating bugs and leaves and drinking creek water, his family told KTLA-TV Channel 5 Thursday night.

David Lavau was with another person in the vehicle when it went off Lake Hughes Road north of Castaic on Friday.

His car was spotted Thursday evening by family members and friends who had formed a search party. They alerted the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The family was able to access David Lavau's cellphone and credit card records, which showed no activity since Friday. Based on that, family members said, they narrowed their search to Lake Hughes Road.

"We got credit cards, we got cellphone [records], we broke into his Facebook," Sean Lavau said. "Our 12-year-old, Ashley, broke into the cellphone by a code. ... So we got to find out all the voice mails."

The Fire Department said the other person in the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. Lavau was airlifted in a helicopter to a hospital. His family said he sustained a broken collarbone and bruises. No details were released on the person who died.

The incident was being investigated Thursday night by the California Highway Patrol.